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Genetic variation in maternal behaviour score and lamb survival.

Abstract

New Zealand sheep farmers have focussed selection pressure on fecundity traits in recent times. The relationship between lambing rate and lamb survival is poorly understood in highly fecund ewes. Lamb survivability is a problem with up to 30% lamb losses recorded between pregnancy scanning and tailing (Aspin 1997). These lamb losses are not acceptable from a production and animal welfare perspective.